The Benefits of Working as a Freelancer

The term freelancer or freelance was first coined in the Medieval Age by Sir Walter Scott in Ivanhoe, while referring to "mercenary warriors". Nevertheless, this term has acquired different meanings over time and nowadays one can easily associate it to the following definition: a person who pursues a profession without establishing a long-term commitment to any employer (overseas or within the country).
The phenomenon of the Globalization in which the World Wide Web can be located also brought something new to this term's definition, since a freelance worker no longer deals with geographical constraints. It is then possible to freelance without being physically present: the freelancer can work to a one-time employer living overseas still they are only a click away.
As freelancers became more and more dependant on the Internet, and western companies increased outsourcing, virtual marketplaces such as GetACoder (www.getacoder.com) started coming into light. GetACoder.com brings together hundreds of employers and freelancers from all over the world, who work on a per-project basis. This facilitator system accelerates the whole market process and provides key competitive advantages to both parties involved. It is a win-win situation both to employers and freelancers. Employers get good quality work at lesser costs and freelancers get paid a considerable amount for the project completed.
By going to these outsourcing platforms, freelancers can enjoy a wide variety of assignments, allowing them to choose the ones that better suit their areas of expertise. Examples are freelance writing, freelance graphic design, freelance programming and many other freelance opportunities. It should be noted, however, that greater emphasis has been placed towards the field of Information Technology.
Monetarily speaking, the freelance activity can become a secondary income or even the first: one can earn some extra money in the spare time or go full-time instead. Recent studies have shown that part-time freelancing has become rather popular because it helps people paying their bills, as the cost of living is increasingly high. In addition, part-time freelancing enables to practice one's profession, i.e. one can earn some extra bucks for doing what one does in the regular job.

Freelancers that decide to work via GetACoder can take full benefit of the free escrow payment system, which has proved to be a brilliant idea. Basically it works like this: employers put apart a particular amount into an escrow account on GetACoder, for a certain freelancer; and both parties are able to view the payment in the escrow account. This payment system gives each party half of the control and the assurance that their welfare is protected. On one hand only the employer can release the amount from the escrow account, on the other hand only the freelancer can cancel this escrow payment.

Becoming a freelancer brings many other advantages at the personal level, since freelancers do not have to deal with some of the daily hassles regular workers usually face, such as: a fixed agenda, traffic, irritating colleagues and a cranky boss. By working at home, freelancers have more freedom to choose their work schedule, as well as their clients. Moreover, contrarily to what is generally believed, freelancing does not need to be a lonely activity, given that freelancers can decide to form agencies. The agency model is quite effective as it allows freelancers to accept larger projects that require skills outside the scope of one individual.

So, we invite you to weight up the benefits of becoming an online freelancer and doing pressure-free jobs that only take some time and effort...all from home.